Bluesman gets raw and honest on timely state of the union address.
Respected folk-blues musician Nathan Bell’s latest project, The Right Reverend Crow, is a formidable soul/blues trio committed to playing what Bell refers to as “anti-fascist, pro-justice songs”. Joining Bell are Alvino Bennett on drums and percussion and Frank Swart on bass. The genesis of the band occurred during the recording of Bell’s most recent release, 2021’s Red, White and American Blues, an album of politically charged songs that, in hindsight, only hinted at what was to come. With Demokracy Blues, Bell has upped the ante with a raw and unflinching look at the current state of American society.
If the album artwork and title were not clear enough, then the opening track quickly makes Bell’s intentions perfectly evident. What Time It Is sets the tone for what follows: songs dealing with the messy realities and uncertainties of these difficult days, underpinned by an unyielding assault of hard-hitting electric blues. It’s certainly nothing like you’ve heard from Bell before, but there’s no denying it’s effective. The song hits the ground running with a big, juicy guitar riff, followed by some fuzz toned, distorted guitar as Bell sings “Freddie Gray had a knife and he ran / So, they threw him in the back of a police van / Drove around ‘til they broke his back and crushed his heart / Took that flesh and bone and tore it all apart / In Baltimore / Everybody knows what time it is”. It’s a full-frontal assault by the trio, and as the album moves along, the intensity never wanes.
Downhearted and Blue, with its slow-burning groove, features Sean “Mack” McDonald laying down some fluid lead guitar, and the interplay with Bell’s guitar is simply outstanding. When Bell sings “I’m worried and weary too”, there’s a discernible weariness to his voice, and the closing guitar solo only adds to the heavy emotional weight of the song. The Devil Lives In Bargain Town is a scathing indictment of his country’s current administration, and he pulls no punches when he pointedly states, “There’s always some legacy halfwit / In charges of our lives / And it’s a damn miracle my friend / That any of us survive”. And that’s the nice part of the song. The song slithers along on a swampy groove, infused with some piercing guitar and a rhythm section laying down a foundation solid enough to support a White House ballroom.
Roll Right Over You is suffused with hope and empowerment as Bell assuredly lays out the manner in which current conditions will be remedied. The band steamroll through the number with authority, with guest vocalist Tamara Mack providing some extremely soulful harmonies in contrast with Bell’s more acerbic delivery. Following this no-holds-barred performance comes what is perhaps the album’s lightest moment, a brief but welcome respite from the record’s heavier moments. It’s a brief guitar rave-up where Bell and crew let off some steam in a twangy, riff-driven number that channels the spirit of Duane Eddy. Bell’s energetic playing on this incessantly catchy tune is simply impressive.
The title track concludes the album with a call-out to those who stand idly by while, as the saying goes, Rome burns. Opening with an ominous riff, Bell asserts “You keep your head down / And you say nothing / Eyes to the ground / And you say nothing”, followed shortly after with “They treat us like the others / And you say nothing / They hunt our sisters and brothers / But you say nothing”. The band are as tight as ever, locked in and sizzling, and Bell’s gritty vocals and inspired guitar work, including a scorching solo, prove he intuitively feels and understands the blues.
A traditional blues album at heart, at its core are some direct, painfully honest stories. The plugged-in blues format is the perfect medium for conveying the urgency of what is currently happening around us. Echoing the sound of early cylinder recordings, Bell’s processed, lo-fi vocals evoke the spirit of classic blues songs, creating an aesthetic that sounds both old and modern at the same time. The album might be an uncomfortable listen for some and perhaps requires a bit of patience to push through, but the rewards make the experience well worthwhile. It’s hard-hitting, but in amongst the starker portrayals of the everyday hardships some people are experiencing are glimmers of hope and resilience, as when Bell sings on Heavy Like That, “Your bullets won’t save you / Faith can’t protect you / Only love can heal you / Only love can resurrect you”. A necessary, and ultimately rewarding, album for the times.
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